Girl Ashamed to Invite Grandma with Trembling Hands to Her B-Day Learns She Is in the Hospital — Story of the Day

A girl refuses to invite her grandmother to her birthday party because she's ashamed of her. Life teaches her a valuable lesson when her grandmother becomes ill one day before her birthday.

When Harriet Sutton's husband Stewart died, it appeared that her heart, as well as her health, had abandoned her. Harriet, a lovely, energetic 60-year-old woman who appeared ten years younger, simply collapsed.

Her son, Alex, worried about his mother's health, brought her to New York with him, believing that being surrounded by the family would help her overcome her sadness and heal her broken heart. But much to Alex's dismay, things only got worse over time, and Harriet's poor health turned into Alzheimer's disease.

Harriet's granddaughter, Lynn, who was just 10 years old, initially sympathized with her grandmother's situation when her mother explained that her grandmother was sick and needed care. But as time passed, she became irritated with her actions and impatient with everything and anything she did.

"Mom! Can we please give food to Grandma in her room?" Lynn grumbled to her mother, Amanda, one evening as she was setting the table.

"But why, honey? Remember what your father said? We need to take extra care of Grandma so she can recover quickly."

"But mom, I don't like having food around her," Lynn complained, taking a seat. "Her hands keep trembling, and she's dropped food so many times. IT'S SO DIRTY!"

"Lynn!" Her mother warned her. "You shouldn't talk about your Grandma like that! That's not a good thing."

"I don't care, mom!" Lynn retorted, "I don't want to be around her. SHE'S EWW! I'll eat food in my room," and walked away with her plate.

In two weeks, Lynn was turning eleven. Amanda was deeply worried about her daughter's obnoxious behavior, fearing that the girl would lash out at her Grandma at the party and the poor old lady would be left in tears.

"What are we going to do, honey? I considered inviting all of her friends, but based on her behavior today, I'm afraid she'll yell at your mother in front of others as well," she told Alex when he got home from work.

"No, Amanda. That's not right. Lynn's behavior cannot be tolerated. If we won't be strict with her now, she'll just keep acting like that and hurting mom."

"But honey…" Before Amanda could say anything, Lynn barged into the dining room and began yelling at her parents.

"I heard it all! I know you guys want to invite Grandma to my birthday party! But I don't want her to come!"

"Lynn!" her father shot back. "She's your grandmother, she loves you, and you're talking about her like that? That's not right, little one."

"But dad! Grandma is sick. Her hands tremble, and she spills food all the time. My friends will laugh at me!"

"She's old and needs our help, Lynn. You'll help Grandma, right? Aren't you a good girl?"

"NO, DAD!" Lynn slightly raised her voice. "NOT THIS TIME. I DON'T WANT GRANDMA AT MY PARTY!"

Her father, enraged by her actions, nearly yelled at her. "This isn't done, Lynn. Your Grandma is coming to the party, and we won't hear from you again! We will all grow old one day. Will you treat us the same way when we get old and sick?"

Lynn didn't like the way her parents preferred her Grandma over her. She slammed the plate she'd brought from her room onto the table, turned around, and walked away, teary-eyed. However, a few days later, she regretted being so harsh to her grandmother.

"I'm sorry, Lynn, but I don't think we'll be able to celebrate your birthday this time," her mother said over phone, hurriedly gathering her belongings to leave her office.

"What? No, mom! Is it because I said bad things about Grandma? Fine, I'll invite her to the party. Please don't cancel it," Lynn begged.

"It's not like that, Lynn," her mother clarified. "While you were at school this morning, your grandmother was admitted to the hospital. She had a stroke after staying up all night knitting warm gloves for your birthday present. I'm going to see her at the hospital. Aunt Emma will arrive soon. Please don't bother her."

When Lynn heard the terrible news, she almost dropped the phone from her hands. "Oh no! Did Grandma fall sick because of me? I'm sorry, mom. I shouldn't have talked like that about her."

"No, honey, it's not your fault," Amanda consoled Lynn. "Grandma had simply overworked herself. She'll be fine, okay?"

"What if she doesn't recover, mom?" Lynn asked, her eyes welling up. "I was so mean to her. Can I please come with you to the hospital? I want to see her!"

Amanda tried several times to explain to Lynn that she'd take her to Harriet later, but the little girl insisted on seeing her grandmother, and Amanda had to give in.

When Lynn visited the hospital and saw her Grandma on the hospital bed, her eyes welled up. She silently approached her bedside and whispered an apology to her. "Get well soon, Grandma. I know mom isn't telling the truth, but I know you got sick because you didn't sleep all night. I'm sorry."

Then as the day came to a close and her birthday approached, Amanda asked her if she wanted a small party with her close friends, but Lynn refused.

"I don't want to celebrate until Grandma is well. I want her to be there!" she insisted, clutching the gloves Harriet had woven for her and sitting beside her.

"How about we try something new this year, Lynn?" Amanda proposed, hugging her and wiping away tears as her daughter realized how wrong she was.

"Different? What do you mean, mom?"

"Let's cut a cake in the evening, but this time instead of asking something for yourself, why don't you ask God for Grandma to get well soon. If you wish for something with good intentions, God will grant your wish!"

"Really, mom?" Lynn asked, delighted. "Then can we cut the cake here in front of Grandma? I want to be beside her when I cut the cake."

"Sure, honey, but let me just ask the doctors first."

Amanda took special permission from the hospital that day and got a cake for Lynn and brought it to Harriet's room. The little girl blew the candles, wishing to see her Grandma well soon. I love you, Grandma! I'm sorry I was mean to you. I hope you get well soon! She closed her eyes and prayed.

Thankfully, Harriet's health started improving a few days later, and the doctors said she'd be discharged soon. Little Lynn was delighted when she heard her Grandma was doing well.

The day Harriet returned home, Lynn hugged her tightly and kissed her on the cheeks. "I'm so glad you're back home, Grandma! Mom promised me that I could celebrate my birthday properly this weekend. You're going to make my favorite chocolate cake for me, right?"

Harriet smiled at her and nodded. "Of course, I will, honey. After all, I have the loveliest granddaughter in the world!"

What can we learn from this story?

• Older people need love and care, and we shouldn't refrain from giving it to them. Lynn realized she'd been wrong to mock her grandmother for her illness and vowed never to do so again.
• Parents must sometimes be strict with their children. Lynn's parents didn't let her off the hook when she expressed her displeasure with Harriet's attendance at her birthday party. So sometimes, we need to be strict as parents in order to teach our children valuable lessons.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a rich grandson who throws a dirty bag of walnuts his poor Grandma gave in a drawer and opens it after her death.

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